James Webb Space Telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a large, infrared-optimized space telescope launched on 25 December 2021. It is a joint project between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The primary scientific objectives of the JWST include studying the early universe, galaxy formation and evolution, and the formation of stars and planetary systems. The telescope is also used to study the atmospheres of exoplanets to search for signs of life. The JWST is positioned at the second Lagrange point (L2) of the Earth-Sun system, located about 1.5 million km (930,000 mi) away from Earth, and uses a 6.5-meter primary mirror to collect and focus infrared light from the most distant objects in the universe.
James Webb Space Telescope is currently in the constellation of Libra, at a distance of 1,408,905 kilometers from Earth.
View interactive star map
Today's rise, transit and set times of James Webb Space Telescope from Greenwich, United Kingdom (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- James Webb Space Telescope is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom .
- Go to interactive sky chart
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James Webb Space Telescope Position and Finder Charts
Field of view: 10x6 degrees
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Higher precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where James Webb Space Telescope is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is James Webb Space Telescope?, a page that provides all the information needed to find James Webb Space Telescope in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
James Webb Space Telescope Distance from Earth
The distance of James Webb Space Telescope from Earth is currently 1,408,905 kilometers, equivalent to 0.009418 Astronomical Units. Light takes 4.6996 seconds to travel from James Webb Space Telescope and arrive to us.
The following chart shows the distance of James Webb Space Telescope from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance data is measured in Astronomical Units and sampled with an interval of 1 day.
The value of the reported distance might be somewhat inaccurate around the times of closest approach for objects passing extremely close to Earth. The value of the distance of James Webb Space Telescope from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach of James Webb Space Telescope to Earth
Between 26 December 2021 and 5 March 2025, the closest approach of James Webb Space Telescope to Earth happens on Sun Dec 26 2021 at a distance of 0.000894 Astronomical Units, or 133,698 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Visualization of James Webb Space Telescope Orbit
This 3d orbit diagram is a feature of our 3D Solar System Simulator and shows the orbit of James Webb Space Telescope with respect of the Sun and the orbits of the major planets. The position of James Webb Space Telescope and the planets along their orbits in this diagram accurately represents the current configuration of the objects in the Solar System. This is an experimental feature and it requires a WebGL enabled browser. Please provide us feedback!
James Webb Space Telescope 15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of James Webb Space Telescope computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Click on each row of the table to locate James Webb Space Telescope in our Online Planetarium at the chosen date.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Apr 12 | 15h 01m 10s | -05° 12’ 10” | N.A. | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 13 | 15h 07m 21s | -06° 06’ 38” | N.A. | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 14 | 15h 13m 23s | -07° 00’ 24” | N.A. | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 15 | 15h 19m 18s | -07° 53’ 26” | N.A. | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 16 | 15h 25m 06s | -08° 45’ 39” | N.A. | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 17 | 15h 30m 47s | -09° 37’ 02” | N.A. | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 18 | 15h 36m 23s | -10° 27’ 32” | N.A. | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 19 | 15h 41m 50s | -11° 17’ 03” | N.A. | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 20 | 15h 47m 12s | -12° 05’ 38” | N.A. | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 21 | 15h 52m 27s | -12° 53’ 11” | N.A. | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 22 | 15h 57m 36s | -13° 39’ 41” | N.A. | Libra |
| 2024 Apr 23 | 16h 02m 38s | -14° 25’ 09” | N.A. | Scorpius |
| 2024 Apr 24 | 16h 07m 33s | -15° 09’ 32” | N.A. | Scorpius |
| 2024 Apr 25 | 16h 12m 24s | -15° 52’ 50” | N.A. | Scorpius |